Amazon has announced AWS Cloud9, a new integrated development environment for writing, running, and debugging code from within a web browser. It is designed to make collaborative cloud development easy with features like pair programming and chat.

“One of the first things you learn when you start programming is that, just like any craftsperson, your tools matter. Notepad.exe isn’t going to cut it. A powerful editor and testing pipeline supercharge your productivity. I still remember learning to use Vim for the first time and being able to zip around systems and complex programs. Do you remember how hard it was to setup all your compilers and dependencies on a new machine? How many cycles have you wasted matching versions, tinkering with configs, and then writing documentation to onboard a new developer to a project?,” Randall Hunt, senior technical evangelist for AWS, wrote in a post.

The newly announced IDE comes packaged with essential tools for popular programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, and PHP; and provides a way to quickly switch between local and remote testing and debugging.

The core of Cloud9, the Ace Editor, features live syntax checking, auto-indentation, auto-completion, code folding, split panes, version control integration, multiple cursors and selectors, over two dozen built-in themes, support for 40+ language modes and customizable run configurations, and a Vim mode.

It also includes cost saving features, such as stopping an instance shortly after the IDE is no longer being used when the auto-hibernate feature is turned on. In addition, you are only charged for the underlying compute and storage resources.

Other benefits include serverless development and enhanced collaboration.